This invention relates to an apparatus for carrying a selected article to a take-out window in an automatic vending machine used for the sale of an article having many kinds, for example, cigarettes etc., and more particularly, relates to an apparatus for carrying a selected article to a take-out window in an automatic vending machine having an improved carrying mechanism for taking out an article from each of article-storing columns storing various kinds of articles which are piled up therein and different from others, respectively, and carrying the article to an article-take-out window.
In the past, in this kind of article-carrying apparatus in an automatic vending machine, for example, as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent specification Tokkaihei 8-315240 filed by the applicant of this invention and laid-open, there has been an apparatus having such structure as providing a driving belt under the lower part of each of article-storing columns within a machine in which various kinds of articles are stored in piled up state, and pushing out an article at the lowest layer piled up on this driving belt by moving the protrusion by almost horizontal running of said driving belt and making the article fall and carry towards an article-carrying portion.
However, in such conventional type of article-carrying apparatus in an automatic vending machine, there is a disadvantage in that the number of the article-storing columns increases, especially in a case that many kinds of goods are stored, because an independent driving mechanism is provided for each of article-storing columns within a machine, so that not only the number of driving mechanism required increases, wiring within the machine becomes complicated and reduction in number of required parts is disturbed but also the cost for the whole apparatus is raised.
Also, in order to raise the space-using efficiency of the machine, it is desirable to provide article-storing columns in the inside of the door which opens and shuts the front of the main body of a machine, too, but a conventional apparatus described above can not achieve the purpose.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an article-carrying apparatus in an automatic vending machine enabled to dispose within both the main body of a machine and the door thereof each of article-storing columns in which classified, various kinds of articles are stored in a state of being piled up, respectively, so that article-storing efficiency can be raised, and to decrease number of parts required for an article-carrying apparatus in order to reduce the cost for the whole apparatus.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the invention described in claim 1 provides an apparatus for carrying a selected article to a take-out window in an automatic vending machine, comprising a plurality of columns for storing various articles classified in kind and piled one on another, the plurality of columns being arranged in columns and rows, the apparatus, comprises: means for pushing out an article which is positioned at the lowest layer in each of the plurality of columns, the pushing-out means being provided at the lower part of each of the plurality of columns; means for picking up the article pushed out by the pushing-out means; and means for moving the picking-up means which is holding the article in predetermined directions, whereby the selected article is carried to a predetermined position in the vicinity of the take-up window; wherein the pushing-out means is actuated by the picking-up means.
The invention described in claim 1 provides the apparatus, wherein each of the columns and the pushing-out means are arranged in the main body and the inside of the door which is provided in the front of the main body and enabled to open and shut.
The invention described in claim 2 provides the.: apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the picking-up means is positioned between the main body and the door thereof.
The invention described in claim 3 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 1, or 2, wherein the moving-means has means for hanging and supporting the picking-up means in a state being movable in horizontal direction, a vertical-transfer mechanism which makes the hanging-and-supporting means move in vertical direction, and a horizontal-transfer mechanism which makes the picking-up means hung and supported by the hanging-and-supporting means move in horizontal direction.
The invention described in claim 4 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the pushing-out means has a pushing-out member which moves to push out an article at the lowest layer piled up in each of columns toward a direction for the article to be pushed out, and a differential mechanism which makes the pushing-out member return to its original waiting position.
The invention described in claim 5 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the picking-up means has a pushing-out-drive means which makes the pushing-out means drive toward the pushing-out direction of the article, means for taking in the article pushed out from the column one by one by the drive of the pushing-out means driven by the pushing-out-drive means, and a means for holding and carrying the article which stores and holds the article temporally and carries out it, wherein the holding-and-carrying means is enabled to carry out the article at the position to which the picking-up means is moved by the moving means and at which it corresponds to the article carrying out portion.
The invention described in claim 6 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the pushing-out-drive means has a protrusion member enabled to protrude and move toward the pushing-out means and means for driving the protrusion member, and the pushing-out member of the pushing-out means is pushed out by the protrusion and movement of the protrusion member driven by the drive means, and returned to its original waiting position by the releasing operation by the withdrawal drive of the protrusion member.
The invention described in claim 7 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the drive means for the taking-in means and for the holding-and-carrying means is co-used.
That is to say, according to an article carrying apparatus in an automatic vending machine embodying the first aspect of the invention, each of the plurality of columns in which various kinds of articles piled up and being different from others are arranged vertically and horizontally, in plural columns and rows, and an pushing-out means which pushes out an article at lowest layer is provided at the lower part of each of the columns, while for each of the pushing-out means of respective article-storing columns, a movable picking-up means operating at the opposite side of the column is provided, and an article pushed out by the operation of the pushing-out means actuated by the picking-up means is taken into said picking-up means and moved to an article take-out unit of the machine, so that the drive for the pushing-out means of all the columns is conducted by one picking-up means and number of required parts for the article carrying system is decreased and cost of the whole apparatus is reduced.
Also, since each of the columns and the pushing-out means thereof are lined up in the main body of a machine and the inside of the door, article-storing efficiency is raised.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the invention described in claim 8 provides an apparatus for carrying a selected article to a take-out window in an automatic vending machine, a plurality of columns for storing various articles classified in kind and piled one on another, the plurality of columns being arranged in columns and rows, the apparatus, comprises: means for picking up the article from each of the plurality of columns one by one at a position opposite to the column and takes therein and means for moving the picking-up means selectively from the article take-out window to a position corresponding to each of the plurality of columns, wherein the picking-up means includes an article-taking-in-and-placing unit, a protrusion member enabled to move to protrude and withdraw so as to take in an article at the lowest layer in the column into said article-take-in-and-placing unit, a pushing-out member which is provided at the protruding end of the protrusion member and capable of rotating to stand upward, and a drive unit driving the protrusion member, wherein an article at the lowest layer in the column is pushed out from its back side toward the article-take-in-and-placing unit by the withdrawal movement of the protrusion member by the drive unit after the protrusion.
The invention described in claim 9 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the columns are arranged in the main body and the door which is provided in the front side of the machine and enabled to open and shut.
The invention described in claim 10 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the picking-up means is positioned between the main body and the door.
The invention described in claim 11 provides the apparatus as defined in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the moving means comprise a hanging-and-supporting means which hangs and supports the picking-up means,a vertical-transfer mechanism which moves the hanging-and-supporting means perpendicularly, and a horizontal-transfer mechanism which moves the picking-up means which is hung and supported by the hanging-and-supporting means in a horizontal direction.
That is to say, according to an article carrying apparatus in an automatic vending machine embodying the second aspect of the invention, each of the plurality of columns which stores various kinds of articles piled up therein and being different from others are arranged within a machine vertically and horizontally, in plural columns and rows, respectively, and a movable article-picking-up means which takes in an article stored in each of the columns at a position opposite to it is provided, and the article which is taken into the article-picking-up means is moved to an article take out unit of the machine, so that the drive for the plurality of columns is conducted by one picking-up means, by which number of parts required for the article carrying system is reduced and cost reduction for the whole apparatus is performed.